NEW ZEALAND AFFAIRS.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 14, Issue 718, 16 September 1869, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND AFFAIRS.

.(Horae News, July 16.) New Zealand has certainly grave cause of complaint against the mother country ; and no surprise is felt by reflecting politicians at the tone of the vigorous protest, published in another column, against Lord Granville’s despatch. That protest is directed against the decision of the Imperial Government not to assist the colony in the struggles in which it is involved with the rebellious natives, and against the imputation that the colon ists are not exerting themselves as they ought in their own defence. The Colonial office cannot have read their own despatches, or if those despatches have been read it has been in the light of a foregone determination to leave the Colony to its own resources. This is not the way in which the Colonial Empire of Great Britain was built up, nor is it the way by which it is to be maintained. The faith of solemn treaties is engaged, to say nothing of the interests, social and commercial, that aro involved in the support of the New Zealand connection ; but as the present Government are inclined to pursue a policy of alienation, it is not surprising that a threat should have been uttered of establishing independence. Let not the colonists be afraid of assuming such a tone. It is the only way of awakening sleepy, careless, and-incompetent statesmen to a sense of the obligation to remember that these colonies are the only outlet for a population, in which partly from economic, and partly from mistaken legislation the poor are becoming poorer while wealth is more strongly

concentrating among the wealthy. This subject has been in vain attempted to be brought under Parliamentary notice. The Government has so far declined to appoint a day for the discussion, though one is! vaguely promised; and we fear the pressure of business w ill in the end be pleaded as an excuse for shelving the subject for the year. As if the preservation of a dependency, almost as large as the United Kingdom, with a loyal population and resources enough to supply the wants of twenty millions of souls for ages to come, was of no consequence, compared with the success of a wretched party struggle! We confess our discontent with the

policy of the -Colonial office, and we shall be much mistaken if Lord Granville's adniistration in respect to New Zealand receives the sanction of a Liberal House of Commons if the question be fairly raised. New Zealand, however, has not so many friends as we could desire. She has no special organs to influence or guide public opinion. But she has claims that will vindicate themselves in spite of ministerial omissions defended upon false principles. It was only one or two of the leading morning newspaper* that thought proper to publish the protest signed by Sir .G. Grey, Sir C. Clifford, Mr Se.vell, Mr Atkinson, and Mr Campbell; and one only reported Sir George Grey's address to the working men of London on the relations oi England to her Colonies. This cir cuuistauce proves to us that New Zea land is as little appreciated by amateui as by professional statesmen. Ir other words, she is not uuderstooc politically nor even commercially ; for , if she were politically understood the Colonial office would never dare to snub the practical representations of

her authorities, and if she were commercially appreciated her trade would be encouraged, not by way of differential duties, but by those unseen supports which are at the command of every Government. We very sincerely hope, though we have no expectation of such a result, that a ol censure will be moved upon Lari Granville for his despatch of March last. In the absence of such au expression we congratulate the Colony upon the bold and outspoken protest to which we have referred, and upon Sir George Grey’s wholesome lecture, which, there is reason to believe, have produced some alarm in ohicial quarters, though it may suit the convenience of the Government to ignore for a time both one and the other.